Moog has revealed the innards of the synth they’re launching later this month, and it looks like a cute but sonically-rich analog monosynth: two-octave keyboard, no display, plenty of knobs.

What’s best is, we get not some strange Web teaser or blurry cropped photos, but a walkthrough of the prototype with none other than Herb Deutsch. Professor Deutsch is perhaps second only to Bob Moog himself in his influence on the early years of the Moog company and the evolution of the early idea of the synth. He can barely contain his delight as he “doodles” on the new instrument.

In the course of the walkthrough, we find out a bit more of what will be in this keyboard:

Best quote: “these oscillators are unusually in tune.” Even as this Moog continues tradition, yes, there is such a thing as progress.

Yes, it should be a more-affordable entry into Moog synths, but what excites me most is the new sound architecture. That Multidrive filter sounds fantastic even in this YouTube video – and a welcome opportunity to make a noise that’s not overly pristine. With so many instruments available, having a distinctive character is everything.